People are designed to movePhysical activity, including regular exercise, leisure-time physical activity, active transport and regular sports activity, is the best way of staying physically and mentally fit and healthy, helps to tackle weight and obesity issues. In contrast, too much sitting and being physical inactivity is unnatural behaviour and harmful to someone’s health in many ways: physically, socially and mentally. Despite this clear message, still a substantial part of the children and adolescents demonstrate physically inactive or even sedentary behaviour.Importance of sport sector in changing behaviourThe sport sector can play a positive and major role in stimulating children, youngsters and adolescents in raising awareness and changing behaviour into a more active and healthy lifestyle. Through sport professionals like physical education teachers and sport coaches many people can be reached. Being active in sport is beneficial for health but additional favourable effects occur when other forms of physical activity like walking, cycling, playing are promoted. To support the physical education teachers and sport coaches in their role of promotor of an active and healthy lifestyle, the SPEACH project was developed.SPEACH-projectGoal of SPEACH is to increase awareness and behavioural change in sport professionals and European citizens toward an active and healthy lifestyle. For that, five so called HEPA-modules were developed which can be offered by physical education teachers and sport coaches during their sport sessions with pupils. The modules focus on several important themes, target group, types of behaviour and generic competences which help sport professionals in promoting HEPA. On this website, further details of the following HEPA-modules are described:• Stimulate sport and physical activities for children with special needs towards a bright future;• Promoting HEPA among children and youth;• Healthy Lifestyle for the whole family!• Nutrition, digital technology and HEPA for adults;• Influencing & monitoring behaviour towards HEPA.
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For the needs analysis, an assessment of the national (and local) status quo in the area of Healthy Ageing, specifically towards Active and Healthy Lifestyles. This status quo will serve as important starting point for the exploration of a potential shared goal of the local community of practice. This needs analysis report includes generic sections towards definitions and methodologies, and an introduction towards the topics assessed. Secondly, national/ local chapters will outline the situation in the communities of Groningen (the Netherlands), Odense (Denmark), Malaga (Spain), Kaunas (Lithuania) and Cascais (Portugal). Within each local COP chapter the partners taking part of the COP are described and the shared goals illustrated. These shared goals are: COP Groningen: “stimulating a Healthy environment (physical & social) with focus on physical activity”. COP Odense: “further develop and educate professionals who work on stimulating physical activity in community dwelling older adult”’. COP Malaga: “developing, implementing and evaluating outdoor fitness” COP Kaunas: “to provide opportunities for primary school children and Kaunas district community members older than 50 more opportunities for exercising and physical activity” COP Cascais: “develop, organize for and together with the stakeholders and end users (youngsters from 12-24 years old) activities focused on healthy lifestyle (e.g., healthy cooking workshops, parent-child physical activities etc.) embedded in approach GERAÇÃO S+ “.
In dit review wordt een overzicht gegeven van effect van mobiele applicaties en activity trackers op een gezonde leefstijl. 17 artikelen werden geïncludeerd. De effecten van apps op beweeggedrag lijken positief. Het effect van apps op voeding en gewicht was wisselend. Maar er leek een trend te zijn voor verbetering van het voedingspatroon. Er is nog weinig onderzoek gedaan naar effect van activity trackers op leefstijl, maar eerste resultaten laten een positieve invloed zien op beweeggedrag. Voor apps aanbevolen kunnen worden, is verder onderzoek nodig. Hiervoor is grootschalig onderzoek nodig met uitgebalanceerde controlegroepen en lange termijn follow-up testen.
Exercise-friendly Environment Public SpacesOur physical and social environment have a great influence on how people move, whether they are aware of this or not. A public environment in which it is easy to move around can have a preventive effect on people’s health and this way it can make an important contribution to Healthy Ageing. An attractive park is an invitation for people to take a walk or go for a run. A beautiful cycle route through nature is an invitation to go cycling.The way a space that is easy to move around in can affect socialisation also contributes to the quality of life in a neighbourhood and its surroundings. By allowing people to exercise and meet each other, healthcare costs can be cut back and social problems can be reduced. In addition, a dynamic and exercise-friendly natural area makes for an attractive tourist destination, which can contribute positively to a region’s economy.The innovation lab ‘Exercise-friendly Environment Public Spaces’ is aimed at an optimal use of public spaces in order to stimulate an active lifestyle, and with this the economic and social impact on the environment of this space. In the innovation lab knowledge institutions, institutions for healthcare and wellbeing, governments (municipalities, provinces) and housing corporations together with various partners from sports, the catering industry and recreation.
Movebite aims to combat the issue of sedentary behavior prevalent among office workers. A recent report of the Nederlandse Sportraad reveal a concerning trend of increased sitting time among Dutch employees, leading to a myriad of musculoskeletal discomforts and significant health costs for employers due to increased sick leave. Recognizing the critical importance of addressing prolonged sitting in the workplace, Movebite has developed an innovative concept leveraging cutting-edge technology to provide a solution. The Movebite app seamlessly integrates into workplace platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Slack, offering a user-friendly interface to incorporate movement into their daily routines. Through scalable AI coaching and real-time movement feedback, Movebite assists individuals in scheduling and implementing active micro-breaks throughout the workday, thereby mitigating the adverse effects of sedentary behavior. In collaboration with the Avans research group Equal Chance on Healthy Choices, Movebite conducts user-centered testing to refine its offerings and ensure maximum efficacy. This includes testing initiatives at sports events, where the diverse crowd provides invaluable feedback to fine-tune the app's features and user experience. The testing process encompasses both quantitative and qualitative approaches based on the Health Belief Model. Through digital questionnaires, Movebite aims to gauge users' perceptions of sitting as a health threat and the potential benefits of using the app to alleviate associated risks. Additionally, semi-structured interviews delve deeper into user experiences, providing qualitative insights into the app's usability, look, and feel. By this, Movebite aims to not only understand the factors influencing adoption but also to tailor its interventions effectively. Ultimately, the goal is to create an environment encouraging individuals to embrace physical activity in small, manageable increments, thereby fostering long-term engagement promoting overall well-being.Through continuous innovation and collaboration with research partners, Movebite remains committed to empowering individuals to lead healthier, more active lifestyles, one micro-break at a time.
Main goal of the Sport Physical Education And Coaching in Health (SPEACH) Project is to increase awareness and behavioural change in sport professionals and European citizens towards an active and healthy lifestyle.Sedentariness and physical inactivity are a cross-national problem. Therefore, the Project builds upon a strong collaborative-partnership to contribute in solving this problem on the European level and to increase sport and physical activity participation. To achieve this, the project will develop HEPA related educational modules, which will be included into existing education structures in the areas of sport coaching and physical education (PE), in order to stimulate pupils, young athletes and adults towards an active and healthy lifestyle.An innovative aspect of the project is the diversity of partners involved. The consortium consists of ten organizations and actors from seven EU countries in the field of sport, PE and health. The partners involved are national and international sports committees, sport federations and higher educational institutes in the field of sport, PE teacher education and health. Finally, the project is strongly supported by the European Network of Sport Science, Education & Employment (ENSSEE).
